XMen: Unexpected Evolution
by whodidthewhatnow
Summary: Right after the incident with Asteroid M, Scott and Rogue find a new mutant in New York. Apparently he is just an easy going guy, but what kind of secrets and enemies he hold? Rated for language and violence. Editor: Sofawall.
1. Unexpected Discovery

For the two youngsters, it was a long day. The teenager boy, Scott Summers had gone to visit his brother on the hospital, accompanied by his friend Rogue. After the Asteroid M incident a few days back, Scott brother Alex was sent to an hospital in New York to recover from a few more serious injuries, and due to be release in three days, the two brothers wanted to spend the rest of the week with each other before Alex was sent back to Hawaii.

Rogue on the other hand was accompanying her friend with the claims she just wanted to use the opportunity to buy a few things in the city, claiming it was nearly impossible to find them in Bayville. In reality though, she just really wanted to spend some time with Scott, despite knowing deep down that no matter what, even if her powers weren't such a barrier he would have only eyes for Jean Gray.

After a long walk to the parking lot, Summers regretted parking it so far away. Being already night with streets poorly lit by broken streetlamps, he was starting to get worried that something would happen. Trying to calm himself he started to talk. "I can't believe Alex's parents are taking things this so calmly. Being a mutant, hospitalized and away from home all this time..."

"Remember, the Professor can be quite persuasive when he wants to be", reminded Rogue. After all, the whole mansion residents were gathered by Charles Xavier himself. "Do you think Alex will eventually come to live at the mansion with you?"

"I don't think so. He has a loving family and even though they seem quite understanding, they're both worried sick. For now they'll want him back home. Maybe later he'll decide he wants to come with us, or he'll have trouble controlling his powers and have no choice." he answered, sighing. He didn't want his brother to share his fate, losing control of his powers and hurting those he loves. Rogue nodded, knowing far too well what he meant.

Suddenly, they noticed a figure wearing a black and red jacket in a nearby bus shelter. Everything from his ragged jeans to the deep shadows cast by his hood set the pair on edge. The man, taking notice of then, started to walk in their direction, hands in the pockets of his jacket. Both teens had their muscles tensed, prepared to fight, until the man spoke.

"Excuse me", he said in a deceptively young voice, if deep tone with a rasped sound indicating he haven't drank any water in a whole day, "but do you have the time?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. It's about, oh, nine o'clock." said Scott, still slightly suspicious about the darkness under the hood.

"I see." He said, a contemplative look under his hood. "Maybe I should go then", he sighed before turning around. Pausing for an instant, he gave a smile to both of them before saying "thanks" and walking away.

Both teens sighed in relief, and scratched the back of his head while chuckling a bit embarrassed. "Oh, don't mention it. Though you ought to be more careful. Dressed like that, I thought you were going to take my watch instead of the time."

The stranger snorted, not turning around just enough to see both of them with the corner of his eye. "If I were this late with a cute girlfriend I'd be suspicious too. Even more with all the crimes lately."

"We aren't dating" they said, almost at the same time, though it hurt Rogue a little to say it.

"Hmm... I see. I suppose", he tried, but he started to run inhumanly fast towards Scott and Rogue, grabbing both by their waists not giving them chance to truly react.

Just in time for him to jump through a car that was about to overrun all three of them. Catching a glance inside, the three airborne group saw the vehicle occupants with automatic rifles.

"I know an alley nearby, hang on!" the strange shouted, ignoring the protests of his two 'guests'. They soon noticed that by 'nearby', he meant several blocks away while outrunning a speeding car and dodging

5.56mm caliber rounds from the assault rifles, until he leap towards a building and started running. From the corner of his eyes, Scott could see the wall cracking with extreme force at his steps, red and black... _things_ aiding on his climb making it a smooth ride.

"All clear", he announced, dropping his guests like luggage on the ground, "and where did they get the weapons anyway, is there some deal I missed? Buy ten rifles, get one free? Ammo, twenty-five percent off?"

Rogue and Scott, just starting to recover from the shock of the event were surprised by his casual attitude towards being hunted with military-grade weaponry. Rogue was the first to recover enough to speak and voice her frustrations.

"What was that! Who were they? Why they were targeting us like that?" Rogue snapped. She may be used to psychos and killers, but this was so unexpected, and even worse, she had a sneaking suspicion she and Scott weren't the ones being hunted.

"They're just thugs", shrugged the strange, "even small-timers like them are packing heavy artillery those days. Someone must have collected all the gear left from the military a few years ago."

Rogue certainly wasn't satisfied by the answer, but before she could respond it was Scott turn to demand answers.

"How did you do that? I mean, who are you? Do you even know about what you-"

"Look", interrupted the hooded stranger, "it's best if you forget about what you saw. You don't want to get involved with me. There is a parking lot nearby, and you can use the stairs to get back to the ground. The police should be on their way, unless the sound of assault rifles isn't worth a call."

He stepped towards the roof border, facing the street and looking at the direction his pursuers had gone. "Sorry for getting you involved in this mess, but I need to do some clean up."

"Wait! Can't you at least give us your name?" Rogue asked. Sure he saved them from certain death but she wasn't comfortable with the way he treated them both like luggage and simply going away as if it's nobody business, and she was torn between thanking him or hitting the bastard. Still, she could at least know his name.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that will be necessary. I doubt we will see each other again, if I hadn't been there you would have been able to continue on peacefully. I suggest you do so now." With a last smirk, he dropped from the roof into the night.

"No, wait!" Scott cried, running to the edge of the building, only to discover he was already out of sight with a small section of pavement cracked, presumably where he had landed. Scratching the back of his head, Scott sighed, admitting defeat. "You know, the Professor isn't going to like someone using their powers that openly, never mind that guy's problem with what seem to be the best-armed thugs in the city."

"No really? The Professor seems like he'd be totally ok with that", answered Rogue with a roll of her eyes. "Well, let's go back. It's late enough already, we don't want to get in any more trouble with the Professor."

Fortunately, the parking lot the mysterious figure mentioned was near Scott's car, and they soon hit the road. Scott spent the whole trip home wondering about this guy's nature, while Rogue wondered about his motives and his name, reasoning it would be easier to find him if they knew his name.

"You think he will join us?" Rogue asked with a tired voice when they finally got back to the mansion.

"I hope so, I'd hate to seen him with Magneto or the Brotherhood, but I can't shake the feeling that he will be quite bothersome in the future."

With that they climbed the stairs to report to Professor Charles Xavier, trying to think of a way to explain why they had come home so much later than expected.


	2. Troublesome Youth

"It's rare to see you drinking, Charles."

The man named Charles Xavier sighed in response to his friend and driver inquire, but didn't paused his quest for a shot of whiskey. "It's not every day I am threatened with defenestration Logan."

The driver now properly identified as Logan growled like an animal ready to attack it's enemy, no wonder relieving the memory of the encounter with the troublesome teenager. As Xavier took a sip from his drink, he couldn't do anything but mentally agree with his companion, while a truck carrying a single special passenger was following them back to Bayville.

"It's in this region?" Asked the tall man while pushing around his bald friend in the wheelchair.

"Yes. Though we couldn't have a matching description of him through Cerebro, we managed to narrow down his activities to small radius of a few blocks, centered from this building."

"Still, I never heard Cerebro failing to find someone like that."

"A few minds are naturally difficult to find, while some can train their minds against telepaths, though it is a rare skill indeed."

"Then which one is it, skill or talent?"

"We will find out, hopefully."

The two man entered into the small dinner, and found a young man in an old jeans and a black leather hoodie cleaning the floor. His caucasian features were young but held a sharpness to them that betrayed his somber personality, his eyes having an ominous glint on them. His hair was curt short, black, almost plain. Just like both Rogue and Scott described the mysterious man to be, though he looked much younger in daylight.

"Talk about coincidence." Murmured Logan to himself, while letting the professor do his usual diplomacy thing.

"Hello young man", said professor in the mos calm and non-threatening voice he could make.

"Hm", was the initial reply before the youth added a bit awkwardly, "we already have coffee and bread ready if you want, but the pies are still baking".

"I'm sure they are delicious, but I came here to talk with you specifically". The youth just raised an eyebrow in silence, and Xavier took that as his opportunity to continue. "It might sounds strange, but please don't be alarmed. Did it ever happened to you to have strange phenomena happening around you? Things like a slight increase in strength, endurance or speed, or even other kinds of strange abilities that..."

"You have until ten to get out of this place!" Said the young man hotly, with as much venom as he could put into his words. "Either by your own power or through the glass! ONE!"

Xavier saw things going on in a blur, sheer disbelief in his eyes from the incredible hostility the youth displayed, suspicion that his former friend Magnus would be somehow involved in this mess forming itself in the back of his mind. It wasn't until the count was on five that he decided to use his telepathic power to try to diffuse this before anyone, namely him and possibly the youth, from being harmed.

That was a mistake.

Pain.

Pain pain pain.

_PAIN_.

For a brief moment when he glimpsed the youth mind he felt incredible pain, as if he just watched several hour of static made of teeth and claws that tried it's best to chew through his eyes to find his brain matter.

It was on the count of eight that he found himself lifted over by his shirt, the youth ignoring the taller man who put discretion aside and was showing his claws to the kid, which was completely unfazed and unmoved by the display.

"..._NINE_!"

"**_HELLER_**!"

It was with that angry cry that Heller flinched and dropped Xavier back to his seat, Logan turning to find a middle-aged man with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What have I told you about treating the customer?"

"These aren't customers! They came here after me, asking questions they shouldn't!"

The man looked at the pair who either were a gay couple, rich employer and employed pair or recruiter and bodyguard setup. Still, one out of three was a good enough odd for him. "Why don't you go eat something and sleep? We will talk about this again later."

"And the dinner?"

"I will take care of it, just go."

Without much ceremony the youth made himself disappear, and not too long after Xavier was sipping some good coffee as a proper customer should.

"Name's Cross by the way", said the man while pouring some black coffee to himself, "so, you come here for the boys abilities, I take it?"

"That's correct mister Cross", answered Charles, "I assume someone else came here for him too."

"You could say that, though no one came here to talk before." Cross said between sips of his drink. "May I ask why you came for him?"

"Well mister Cross, my students were attacked by a band of well armed thugs and were saved by young Heller, but as it stands his mutant powers must be keep silent to keep the secret of the mutant race surface to light before humanity is ready."

"You're recruiting him", Cross pointed out with great conviction in his voice.

"I plan to give him guidance, anonymity, and a chance to learn more about his own powers."

"Anonymity, huh? That I can see the kid wanting..."

"Excuse me", interrupted Logan, "aren't you taking this way too way well?"

Cross just snorted at the implication. "This is New York. We survived September Eleventh and the Pen Station Outbreak, a kid with far too much power than sense is the least of the things on my mind. Speaking of which, are you feeling well, mister telepath?"

"How did you..." tried to say Xavier, feeling some slightly pounding on his head for a while now.

"Let's just say in the future when telepaths becomes a military asset, the means to counter their abilities will become more common and let's keep it like that, alright?"

'The coincidences keep piling over and over', thought Logan, but decided to stay silent for now.

"Tell you what, I will talk with the kid if you give me some more information on what you plan to do, maybe he staying away from this mess will help him cool down."

"Of course. Now, the Institute Charles Xavier of..."

It was a few hours later that a young Heller was hitching a ride from the back of a truck, Xarles car at the front already halfway towards Bayville. Whatever Cross said to Heller it must have been effective since the youth didn't looked trilled by the arrangements but complied without making a fuss, only carrying light baggage.

"Are you sure we made the right choice Xarles?"

"I hope so Logan, I really hope so."


End file.
